Summary: Ex's Gale and Madge meet again after almost seven years of not talking. Rated explicit for graphic smut, and also this chapter is QUITE unbeta'd, excuse my mistakes.

It's the prospect of social contact that gets Gale to attend his high school reunion. His last few months have been non-stop work and grueling nights at the office. The fact that the party is happening on one of his only nights off has to be a coincidence - and that's why he's walking six city blocks to a fancy bar tonight, hoping to be able to relax and just talk to some old friends.

Of course, he doesn't know who's coming. It's not one of those official reunions that happen every half a decade, but a casual cocktail social that some eager classmates like to put together. Gale's attended a few in the past, they were always fun and the people that come are usually his old friends, people who all moved to the city and live there now.

When he opens the door of the uptown bar, he knows he's in the right place. There's a tacky looking banner that welcomes their graduating class of the Twelfth County High School to the venue, and tons of familiar faces are milling about.

Gale debates whether to keep his coat on or not, wondering if he'll stay long enough to need to. The decision is that he doesn't want to carry it around no matter how long he's here, and when he gives his jacket to the attendant and retrieves his ticket, he hears his name being called.

"Gale! I didn't think you'd be coming, I missed you a lot man," Thom says, smiling widely and offering his best friend a hug. They still keep in touch most of the time, but Gale knows that work has made him busy and inaccessible.

"Hey Thom. Yeah, finally got a night off."

"Good, awesome. That's awesome to hear. You coming in?" his friend offers, leading him into the crowd of alumni and away from the entrance.

They make a beeline for the bar, where apparently one of their classmates has generously paid for an open bar and free drinks for all. So Gale happily treats himself to scotch on rocks, hoping it'll make the conversation flow.

"How's the last few months been for you Thom?" he asks, wondering how his friend is doing. Last time he heard he was working at a bike shop, helping with repairs and rentals somewhere downtown.

"Not bad at all. I got promoted to manager at the shop, I just love working there, it's fun for sure."

"Didn't you say you wanted to open up your own place?"

"Yeah," Thom assures, nodding passionately. "Obviously not yet, but soon, when I save up the money."

Gale understands all too well, the struggle to follow your passions and still put food on the table, but he doesn't acknowledge it. "Manager, huh? And you have time to make it here tonight?"

"Of course I do," he scoffs. "And besides, I'm going for Cartwright. You know that."

"When are you not going for Cartwright?" Gale chuckles, looking over at the blonde woman. Thom and Delly never really dated back in school, but Gale knows that they fooled around a lot. They were never part of the same crowd or cared to admit it. And right now Thom tries to make it sound like a rare occurrence, but Gale knows better. They're both living in the city and neither of them are seeing anyone else, which only means that they're still fucking. "You practically drool over her every time you see her."

"Shut your mouth, Hawthorne," his best friend retorts never trying to make eye contact with him. He doesn't deny anything, but Thom begins to walk away towards his special friend, unable to look away from her. "Okay I'm going to leave you with the only person who can stand you, yourself."

He's kidding, Gale knows. But as Thom lurks away Gale's sitting by the bar by himself, staring down at his drink and thinking about the past. For a few minutes he just drinks his scotch, savouring it a little bit but eventually downing it in one go. When he winces at the sting, he feels someone tap him on the shoulder.

"Gale Hawthorne, is that you?" the girl asks. Her hair is a reddish brown and too long, and Gale's first thought is that he doesn't recognize her at all. He didn't talk to many people in high school, even if apparently everyone knew who he was. It happens often enough, so Gale just nods and smiles back.

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good, I haven't been to one these things ever. I don't think I've seen you since Grade 12 Spanish." That explains why she seems familiar, but Gale still can't put a name to her face. At least it's not his fault, he hasn't seen her in almost six years. The girl keeps talking. "What about you? Do you work in the city?"

"Yeah, I'm at an architecture firm, a junior partner."

"That's impressive, I never pinned you for the architecture type," she critiques. Well of course she didn't pin him for any type, she probably didn't really know anything about him.

The conversation lingers on, mostly superficial questions and one word replies from Gale's end. He's barely listening to her ramble on about her life and her dog when he sees a flash of blonde come through the entrance, and he knew that tonight might've been a bad idea.

The brunette notices that he zoned out, turning her head to look too. "Oh, it's Madge. You guys used to date, didn't you?"

Gale doesn't need to answer to let her know that it's true. The way he's looking at Madge now could burn through buildings if he tried. He hasn't talked to her since the summer of graduation, since their relationship fizzled out. But tonight she's everything he missed all these years, long legs and timid smiles that do something in his chest. It hurts but speeds up too, and Gale panics.

"I'm sorry, I need to go. It was nice talking to you…" he starts, hesitating to say a name. The girl is offended, he knows because her face is one of disappointment and blatant indifference.

"Beth." Beth. Sounded familiar, but Gale never would've been able to guess. He wants to apologize for that too, but instead he gives her one last nod and shuffles off.

He isn't looking for Madge. In fact, it's the opposite. He sees her walking towards Delly and a couple others, so he scurries to the other side of the room where she wouldn't bump into him. It's not that he doesn't want to talk to her all night - he does - but he hasn't prepared for this, doesn't have the words to say.

To say that Gale has unresolved feelings would be a gross understatement. High school relationships weren't always meant to last, and in the beginning they had just been that. Sweethearts that met at lunch and went to prom together. They did talk all the time and Gale felt closer to her than anyone else in his last year of school, but when graduation came around Gale felt like he was falling in love at the same time Madge was falling out. He ended things amicably before they left for university with empty promises to remain friends and catch up.

And now everything Madge had stirred up inside him is bubbling up to the surface again; he remembers the things they used to tell each other, her perfume and the way she used to kiss him. He wants to catch up with her and wants to know what she's been up to - just not yet.

So he retrieves his jacket and goes outside to have a smoke, something that he should really stop doing but is too busy to give quitting a second thought. It used to be just something he did in high school to try it out, but now when he's stressed or uncomfortable, he finds a reason to escape and smoke one cigarette.

The air is chilly and Gale's glad he brought his jacket. Not only because of the temperatures, but because honestly he's ready to leave. It's been a long day, all his friends that are here seem preoccupied and to top it all off, Madge is here making his head spin.

But before he can start walking away, he hears the doors of the bar open, and Madge walks out hastily. Her hair is in bouncy curls that are incredibly shiny in the lights of the city, and her coat is on too. She doesn't notice Gale standing off to the side, Madge is too busy rummaging through her bag to notice.

Gale lets her go on for a second more, but he's amused, intrigued and nostalgic all at once.

"Lost something?"

Her head turns and she takes a deep inhale, giving him a warm smile back. "Hey," she breathes out, barely able to contemplate him in front of her. Madge looks as if she's seen a ghost, a part of her past she never thought she'd meet again. "I can't find my phone, I need to call a cab to find my way home."

"Cool," he responds dully, and Madge realizes how casual they're being, how casual it shouldn't be. They haven't spoken in six years and it's not like their relationship ended on a good note.

"How are you, Gale?"

"I'm okay, I haven't seen you since…"

"Since I left for Paris," she finishes, nodding in agreement.

"So much for keeping in touch, right?" he asks snidely. Madge just sighs.

"You know that neither of us meant that, Gale. We'd just broken up, why would I keep in touch with you? To make it even harder to get over you?"

She makes a valid point. Why would she continue to text him or call when he was the one who wanted to end things? It was Gale who decided that she was too good for him, and that their relationship only worked in high school. Naturally, he'd also be the only one to care apparently.

He dismisses her question, they both know the answer anyways, and he moves on with their conversation. "How've you been? I didn't know you were living in the city."

"I'm not," she laughs. "I'm only here for a couple nights, I'm touring with an orchestra. I thought I'd stop by and say hi to some of you guys."

"And?"

She just shrugs. "I hated high school. But it was never because of the people. I'm glad I came around here, it's crazy to learn where everyone is now."

"Yeah, I guess," he responds, knowing that high school wasn't the best place for anyone. It forced them to grow up too fast in ways they didn't want and forced them to stay children when everyone just wanted to break free. He comes to these mixers so often, so the life updates are more frequent, less jarring than Gale would imagine they are for her.

"You look good," Madge comments, and Gale nods indifferently, knowing he's changed quite a bit. He wears suits now everyday, and his hair is shorter than he used to like it. He also goes to the gym everyday he can, so he's no longer a lanky teen who did a couple of pushups in the morning.

"Thanks. You do too," he offers, knowing that Madge is well aware she looks flawless tonight. Her dress is modest and classy, but Gale can see her pale collarbones and suddenly he has the irrational need to kiss them. And her makeup makes her look a little different too; Madge has a dark shadow painted onto her lids and it makes her look mysterious, and dare he mention sexy.

Maybe she feels the air hanging heavy around them too, because she coughs and motions to the lighter he's been playing with. "I didn't know you still do that."

"Me neither," he shrugs jokingly, and Madge laughs in a way that Gale didn't know he missed so much. She's light, everything he needs right now and more. But he doesn't know how to convey that, how to tell her that he wants more without sounding like he yearns for something that no longer exists. He doesn't want her because they dated in high school, he wants her because she's amazing, and he was too dumb to see that before.

"Sorry, I'll let you go now," he says mid chuckle. Madge looks taken aback, but he reminds her why she was outside to begin with. "You were trying to hail a cab weren't you?"

"Oh yeah," she says, sighing at her own absentmindedness. "I don't know the city that well, I'm staying at the Radisson."

"The Radisson? That's right around the corner," he explains, recalling the downtown hotel. Madge was never too good with directions, and probably wasn't paying attention on the way over here. It's almost too perfect, and he doesn't want to be the one to say it first, but Madge looks at him in a way that makes him certain she knows what they both want.

"Wow, okay. Were you planning on sticking around here longer, or do you think you could walk me there? You could come up for a bit, catch up. I missed you."

He doesn't know if it's true or not, but Gale gladly walks down the city block as an answer, and Madge walks quickly to catch up to him. He sees her smiling into the collar of her hood, and for a second it almost feels like old times, sneaking away from class to steal a kiss or just talk when things were bad. When they first met they didn't always get along, but by the end Gale knew Madge like the back of his hand. He knows that she feels the same, and they both want to get something out of this.

Her hotel room is a suite, it's spacious and well furnished, and Gale sees a cello case sitting in the corner. Madge started picking up different instruments all throughout high school, and she was a natural at all of them, of course. He assumes the orchestra she's touring with needs her on strings, but if she needed to Madge could really do it all.

"So what have you been up to?" Madge asks politely, grabbing two glasses and filling them with water. When she hands one over to him Gale shrugs, trying to think of something interesting in his boring life. He sheds him blazer and places it on the counter. "Is architecture treating you well?"

"Sure, I'm junior partner now at a firm I've been at for a couple years. I like it a lot."

"You seem tired," she comments, and of course Madge knows him too well.

"Well I like it, except for the hours, I suppose. People who aren't in charge get delegated a lot of busy work, that part's not too fun." Madge looks so genuinely interested and captured by his life, so he's urged to go on. "But I've been leading a project on my own, actually. We're transforming an old fire station into an office building over on the west side."

"That's amazing."

"Not as amazing as touring the world, I don't think."

"It poses it's own set of problems," she states simply, gesturing at the lifeless hotel room she's staying in. Gale assumes her life for the past few weeks have been endless crowds and cities and hotel rooms just like this one, and he supposes there is some kind of plus side in having stability. What he means by bringing it up though is not that, it's the fact that Madge is endlessly talented and could do anything if she tried. Gale just clinged to the one thing he found he was good at, and now he's milking it for what it's worth, trying to find any sort of success.

"I visited home two days ago, though," she mentions passively, but Gale's ears perk up. "I visited the school too. It was crazy to see some of the teachers and just walk through the halls, you know? But do you remember the classroom on the second floor? The one where we used to…"

The one where they used to kiss and never get caught. Gale can remember everything about that classroom, it was never used for instruction and wasn't renovated with the others a couple years before then.

"They fixed it, it's a study space now, or something." Gale chuckles at the idea, and Madge can't seem to help but laugh along too. It's a fond memory, one that they both remember well. There was nothing he looked forward to more than kissing Madge Undersee senseless during their free period.

"Are you seeing anyone?" he asks out of the blue. It's a question that seems random, but Gale's not an idiot. He knows the only reason why Madge would bring him here, why they're bothering with any of this small talk.

She shakes her head coyly though, playing up the excuse.

So Gale takes a step towards her, filling the gap a little bit so that he can see her face more clearly. It's the dusting of freckles that you can only see close up and the way that her eyes twinkle that make him miss her the most. "I guess performing makes it hard, eh? So how long has it been since you-"

"Too long," she nods urgently, grabbing his tie and pulling him in, tasting him for the first time in years.

The way she moves her lips makes him groan, and Gale doesn't know what else to do but blindly follow as Madge leads him into the bedroom, lips never leaving hers. For a few moments they just stand there at the foot of the bed, hands wandering and eyes closed.

Madge is just short enough for Gale to be hunching his back slightly, but when hers arms come up around his neck and pull him in closer, they're frantic for more friction, more speed. So Gale picks up her by the legs and drops her on the bed beneath him, which causes Madge to laugh in surprise and because of the playfulness of this whole thing. Them hooking up is more than just for old times sake, for one night Gale just needs to let go and feel something more for once.

The sleeves of her dress have ridden down her shoulders, so when Gale tugs them further down Madge is more than happy to oblige, lifting her body slightly for the garment to come right off.

Gale is stunned when he sees that under her simple dress is the sexiest little set of lingerie he's ever seen. Madge is a bombshell in all black lacy fabric, with garters and tights included. Madge has always been the type to keep these kinds of little secrets to herself, and he can't stop staring for a second.

She's soft and it makes him swallow in anticipation. Madge has pretty curves in all the right places, and there's nothing more perfect than the way she looks in her sexy lingerie set and her smokey eyes. Except then when he drops a kiss behind her ear, sucking gently, and she lets out a breathy moan and pulls him in tighter Gale knows that he's done for.

Her nimble fingers are pulling at his tie and undoing the buttons of his shirt one by one, and when the last one pops open Gale gladly shrugs it off. Then he hears her gasp audibly and wonders if something's the matter, until Madge begins to trace patterns on his arm, then he knows.

"You got a tattoo," she states as a matter of fact, biting her lip.

"Yeah, do you like it?" Gale asks with genuine curiosity, observing her acute reaction. His tattoo is a scenery; the woods, the night sky and the stars fit into a decent sized circle on the inside of his upper arm. It reminds him of home, keeps him level headed when things get crazy.

Madge almost look speechless with silent tension, but then she throws her head back onto the pillow, closing her eyes and laughing at herself. "Oh my fucking god, Gale," she cries out, and Gale scrunches his eyebrows together. He knows some girls don't like ink, maybe don't get the whole idea of marking your skin.

"What?"

"Your body. It… does things to me. So stupid." It sounds ridiculous, but he gets it. It's an admission he'd never thought he'd hear out of Madge Undersee's lips, but it's so honest and true, she turns red in embarrassment. But Gale doesn't poke fun. He's just happy the feeling's mutual, and that parts of him make her lusty with want too.

So he starts to kiss her again, frantic and insistent in a way that makes them both smile and moan at the feeling of skin against skin. She feels good, too good, and Gale feels a small wave of jealousy pass over him thinking about the other guys Madge has had since him.

But Madge's hands move to his crotch, feeling his already hard outline and trying to find his fly, and all thoughts of other people disappear from his mind. He can only think about her hands stroking him through his pants and the hungry expression on her pretty little face.

"Get these off," she commands quietly, biting her lip and resisting a smile. "Please."

Madge has always been so fucking polite, and Gale is more than happy to oblige. His belt and dress pants come off in record time, and right as he tosses them on the floor Madge's hand is back on his cock, stroking him through his boxers.

He always felt that Madge had an innocent smile but seducing eyes. She's doing it right now, that thing where she looks at him like there's nothing else in the world that she needs more than his throbbing dick hard in her hand.

"Shit, Madge," he curses under his breath, and Madge gets up and motions him downwards so that his back is on the bed. The hotel sheets are still tucked in and untouched.

Her hands are playing with the waistband of his underwear as she hovers over him, dropping a kiss on his stomach and making a trail south. Gale can't do anything to help the groan that erupts from his throat when Madge pulls the boxers all the way down, letting him spring free.

The air gives a cold sensation but it's soon replaced with the warmth of her hand, stroking him from base to tip. Madge's eyes are trying to meet his, searching for confirmation to go on, and Gale can only nod with droopy eyelids, half closed with pleasure.

Soon they shut completely and Gale just tries to feel her, memorize the way her skin feels against his, the way she touches him. He's barely gotten reaquainted with the feeling of her hand when he feels a warm wetness surrounding his tip, and when his eyes open suddenly Madge's mouth is on him, sucking and teasing his tip with that fucking coy smile.

She goes further and further down, and Gale's never been harder than right now. Something about her intricate lingerie and the wet sounds she's making feels like every fantasy he's ever had meshed into one. A couple of curls fall in front of her face and Gale holds them back; he needs to see her, and Madge smiles appreciatively with her eyes.

"Fuck, you're incredible, just like that please."

It feels so good he could burst. But he won't, nor does he want to. He retracts a little bit, which causes Madge to stop with wide eyes, thinking she's done something wrong. She raises herself so she's on her knees, and Gale does the same so that they're upright, facing each other on the bed.

"What's the matter?" she asks, but Gale just tucks a strand of hair behind her ears and kisses her softly.

"Nothing," he whispers against her lips. "I want more of you."

His lips drop to the skin above her chest, kissing along her collarbones and shoulders like he promised himself he would. Her skin is salty with sweat, but he smells her perfume, something rich and floral that on any other girl would be too much, but suits Madge just right.

When his kisses make their way back up to her jaw and around her lips, Gale brings his hands around her body to undo the clasp of her lacy bra. There's a moment of hesitation, one where Madge cups the flimsy thing to her body almost afraid to let go. Gale wishes she knew that he thinks her body was made for him, and there isn't a single inch that he doesn't adore, especially not her pert breasts.

With a small tug Gale lets the lingerie fall from her hands, and he dips down to kiss the tops of her breasts, sucking on the soft skin in a way that makes her gasp. When he pulls away there's a small pink welt forming on her décolletage, and Gale smirks and gives it a peck, content with the fact that it was his doing.

Her nipples are a dusty pink colour and when Gale laps at one gently, sucking it in his mouth and groping the other breast, Madge just about falls apart. She leans against him and pulls his head closer to her body. The way her fingertips feel scraping against his scalp makes him weak, and he continues his ministrations just to hear her moan, feeling her nipples harden between his lips.

Gale's kisses trail downwards, across her smooth stomach and at her garter belt. When his hands come down to grope her cheeks she thrusts forward, trembling in anticipating. Gale begins to slide her underwear down, intent on tasting her when she tugs his head and shakes her own.

"Please, I can't wait any longer," she whispers, embarrassed by how dizzy she feels from his touch. And Gale is more than happy to oblige. He drops a kiss on her lips, and then a few more, then Madge scurries quickly to the bathroom to get a condom.

She comes back and tosses it to Gale. He carefully tears the package, rolling the condom on and pinching the tip. When he's done he looks up and Madge's panties are off but she still has those fucking stockings on with the garters and all, and she's got her hands on the bed frame kneeling, facing away from him. It makes groan; he was thinking of a more classic position like missionary, but clearly Madge knows what she wants and intends to get it.

He comes up from behind her and gives her ass a squeeze, using his other hand to bring her hair to one side so he can see her face. Madge is biting her lip, gazing back at him and nodding her head eagerly.

Gale brings his fingers down to her wetness, teasing her entrance and pressing lightly on her clit. Madge squirms, inhaling sharply and moaning afterwards.

"Are you ready?" he asks softly, giving his cock a couple of lazy strokes in his hand.

"Of course," Madge insists. "I missed you so much."

So Gale lines them up and begins to push in, savouring the way Madge feels around him. She's so fucking tight and hot, he can't remember the last time he needed a person so much. Madge's face is strained with pleasure, and he can tell she's holding her breath too.

He's almost bottomed out when he kisses her neck, trying to cover all the delicate skin that he hasn't yet touched. When Gale thrusts all the way in and sucks on one spot extra hard, Madge just about screams.

"Oh my god, you're so good," she moans, grinding her little ass into his hips trying to get more friction. Gale's hands come around to hold her belly so he has better grip, and Madge brings her own soft hands over his, assuring him of his actions. "Please fuck me," she whispers lewdly, eliciting a moan from Gale when he begins to fuck her proper.

The movements are hot and purposeful, slow methodical thrusts that make Gale's stomach clench every time he thrusts in. Madge feels impossibly tight and he can't help but silently curse at how long it's been since he's gotten laid. His hand will never compare to Madge's pretty little pussy lips, or her luscious hair that smells like honey or her soft, pale skin blushing under his gaze.

The minx he's taking from behind is nothing like the Madge Undersee he dated in senior year, but maybe she was always this way, he was just too dumb to see it. But the sounds she makes are exactly the same, loud, whimpering bursts of motivation or expletives every time he draws back.

They continue that way for sometime, until Gale decides he wants to see her writhe and scream. One of his hands come down to cup her heat, rubbing slightly and finding her sensitive clit. Just as anticipated, Madge gasps in pleasure and begins to meet his thrusts more so that her ass cheeks bounce against Gale's groin with every thrust.

Gale brings his lips to her ear and he rubs more diligently, nibbling on her lobe. "You're so fucking sexy, Undersee. Stockings, really? You don't even know what that does to me, how it makes me so hard to take you like this."

Madge is incoherent, sputtering what sounds like a phrase that Gale can't make out. "M-my stockings do the same to you as - fuck! Gale. just like that - as your tattoo does for m-me."

It's such a cute thing to remember when a man is fucking you slow from behind, and Gale rewards her with more kisses along her throat, rubbing her bud with more vigor and added pressure.

"I want to see you come, could you do that for me baby?"

Madge is biting her lip when she gives a silent nod, she looks like she's been wound up so tight up to this point and now Gale wants to see her come undone. The thrusts become faster and more frantic, and Gale turns Madge's bead so that he can look into her eyes and kiss her. Though it's barely a kiss, they don't move their tongues or lips, but they moan and sigh against each other's mouths.

It only takes a few more pumps for Madge to cry out, tightening around him and closing her eyes shut to concentrate on the pleasure. Gale fucks her hard all the way through her orgasm, and soon Madge pulls his hand away from her cunt to his surprise.

"I'm too sensitive," she pants. "You're close, right?"

Gale can only nod shortly, feeling his balls tightening preparing for his release.

"Come on my breasts, please Gale."

It's such a lewd request, one that Gale could only fantasize she'd be into. But Madge has said the words, she's been taking everything she's wanted all night, and Gale knows her request is not for him but for herself when he pulls out and flips her over. Madge's fingers go back to rubbing her pussy, and Gale scoffs to himself. Too sensitive.

Gale comes with just a few strokes of his hand, spilling onto her pale peaks and taut nipples. Madge must've achieved some sort of second orgasm just from touching herself, because she's still moaning loudly, and they groan in unison savouring the sensation.

In the silence of their afterglow, Gale collapses beside her on the bed, failing to catch his breath or fathom what just happened. Madge is everything he remembered and more, she's assertive and alluring and they always have so much fun when they're together.

"I'm going to shower quickly," Madge whispers snuggling closer to him, and Gale presses a kiss on her forehead and nods in response.

When the water begins to run in the bathroom, Gale disposed of the condom and cleans himself off slightly. He picks up his clothes where they left them on the floor and caught between the sheets and drops them into a singular pile.. He has no intention of putting any of them on except for his boxers, and gets right back into bed waiting for Madge to finish showering.

It's a quick shower, like she promised. When Madge comes out with her hair tied up and she's in a bathrobe, Gale can't help but notice how beautiful she looks. She make her way over to him and Gale sits up, kissing her chastely until she pulls away.

"So you'll be on your way then, right?"

"What?" It takes him by surprise, he was planning on sleeping beside her for a little longer, aftercare is one of his favourite parts of sex.

"Sorry, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. You can stay if you'd like," she offers, but obviously Gale isn't going to stick around if she's so blatantly expressed her desire for him to leave. "I have a flight in the morning."

Gale's stomach drops when he remembers that Madge is leaving. They're in a fucking hotel room after all. He's frustrated, a bit angry at her for saying she missed him while she gets to leave. He reaches for his pants and slips them on, dressing himself quickly while Madge just stares.

"Please don't be mad at me, but you knew that this couldn't be anymore than what we've done."

"Yeah of course, I'm not asking you to marry me after fucking you once," he retorts defensively. "But we're more than just a one night stand, we know each other."

"Which is exactly why I need you to go. If you stay I'll convince myself that this could actually work."

"Why is that a bad thing?" he asks, pacing towards her and putting a finger on her chin. But Madge turns away.

"Because you hurt me, Gale."

"What do you mean? We dated when we were seventeen, sure. But that didn't mean anything, it wouldn't mean as much as right now and-"

"That's bullshit, Gale. You know I loved you, it meant something to me. I loved you more than anything."

They'd always say it, but when Madge confessed those words to him they had weight, meaning. Gale hates to be rehashing their breakup right now, but it matters. It matters because he wants to see her again.

"Why did you break up with me?" Madge asks desperately, sitting down on the bed. "I know it was because of Katniss, even though we were going strong you still had unresolved feelings for her."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Madge? I didn't break up with you because of Katniss. Is that what you've been thinking for the past six years?" It hurts him to know that Madge thought that little of him, that she's spent all this time thinking he didn't love her back. "I ended things because you were going to Paris. You were always meant to be more than that town, and I was attending the local college while you went off to become a world class musician."

"So you did it for your pride?"

"No. I mean, sure, I don't know. I'm a far from perfect guy. The point is you were going to be amazing, follow your dreams. I was holding you down."

Madge kisses him then, maybe because she doesn't want to hear his words anymore, or perhaps to thank him. Gale knows she would've done anything for him, the same was true for vice versa. They kiss with more purpose and more passion, and it's the closest thing to an apology that either of them will receive.

"I'll leave," he mutters. "I need to anyways."

Madge nods in understanding. She probably doesn't want to say anything that will break their fragile agreement, they'd both rather end on a good note. "Goodbye, Gale."

"Find me when you're in town," he pleads uselessly, knowing Madge won't be back around here in quite some time. But she nods again and gives him a soft smile, walking him to the door.. She pecks him on last time on the cheek as he walks out of the suite and into the quiet halls.

And everything is uncertain, and volatile and cloudy with emotion. But Gale wouldn't expect any less from Madge Undersee.

A/N: Gale and Madge as ex's are one of my favourite things. It's like the contemporary version of Post-Mockingjay, I think. At this point I think I've milked the cow for what it's worth though, so if you like Gale and Madge as ex's too let me know!

Did you like it? Tell me what you think, I really do love hearing your opinion.